The Best Sunscreens for Your Face in 2019
Sun protection is imperative year-round, but in the summer months, extra-strong rays necessitate slathering on the SPF. With all the new innovations in skincare, gone are the usual woes related to sunscreen wear — breakouts, white residue, weird chemical reactions with your makeup.
The sunscreens of today more than make up for their predecessors’ bad raps with their anti-aging benefits, skin-pampering ingredients, and, of course, defense against UVA and UVBs. Here are some of our favorite sunscreens for your face.
Best Natural Sunscreen for Your Face: Dr Jackson’s 01 Day Cream
Dr Jackson spent 21 years studying plant-based science before launching his best-selling 01 Day Cream, the first product in his namesake skincare collection. The lightweight yet luxurious moisturizer is free of skin-damaging ingredients like dimethicone, petroleum-derived paraffin, and the preservative BHT, and contains a high concentration of nature’s heavy hitters like baobab seed oil (which encourages regeneration and elasticity) and kigelia fruit extract (to smooth imperfections and even out skin tone).
To buy: mrporter.com, $120
Best Tinted Face Sunscreen: YSL Touche Eclat All-in-One Glow
A mainstay in our makeup bags year-round, this multi-purpose tinted moisturizer guarantees a dewy, flawless visage. It’s made of 70 percent water, so it slides on like a dream and feels incredibly light and refreshing on the skin. It’s hard to believe that something so lightweight can be packed with so much SPF protection.
To buy: sephora.com, $48
Best Lightweight Face Sunscreen: RéVive Soleil Superiéur Broad Spectrum SPF 50
This ultra-sheer sunscreen does more than protect against the sun’s harmful rays. Its patented Bio-Renewal Technology also helps visibly repair signs of aging, helping to smooth lines and wrinkles, correct dark spots, and improve firmness and elasticity. If you’re look for more than preventative skincare, this is a stellar option.
To buy: nordstrom.com, $115
Best Sunscreen Moisturizer for Your Face: Lilia Sheer Vivid Tinted Moisturizer
Aloe Vera, white tea, and rosemary extract are the star ingredients of this 98 percent natural tinted moisturizer, whose lightweight, semi-matte finish make it perfect for days when you want barely-there coverage.
To buy: sephora.com, $42
Best Face Sunscreen for Oily Skin: GLO Skin Beauty Protecting Powder SPF 20
A dust-on SPF powder is ideal for oily skin types or combatting a shiny complexion on the go. And this one is reef-safe and contains soothing green tea leaf extract. We like to keep a bottle in our purse or beach bag for mid-day touchups.
To buy: gloskinbeauty.com, $44
Best Face Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin: La Roche-Posay SPF 50 Mineral Anthelios Sunscreen-Gentle Lotion
One of La Roche-Posay’s newest additions is a 100 percent mineral lotion infused with antioxidants Senna Alata and Vitamin E to neutralize free radicals. Free of fragrance, parabens, and pore-clogging oils, it’s a great pick for sensitive skin types.
To buy: amazon.com, $23
Best Spray Sunscreen for Your Face: Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50
This mattifying makeup-spray does double duty, delivering a superlight veil of sun protection while cooling sweaty, tired complexions. We like to use it in the afternoon, when our makeup has lost its vibrancy and needs a refresh.
To buy: amazon.com, $28
Best Zinc Oxide Face Sunscreen: Naturopathica Daily UV Defense Cream SPF 50
This daily sunscreen offers UVA/UVB protection without depositing any sticky film or white residue. It’s formulated with deep sea enzymes and green tea leaf extra to reinforce the skin’s natural defense against extreme conditions like sun or heat.
To buy: amazon.com, $56
Best Foundation With Sunscreen: Perricone MD No Makeup Foundation Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 20
This skin-improving serum foundation has built-in SPF 20 protection and offers buildable coverage. It’s been formulated to improve the look and feel of your skin over time: neuropeptides target sagging, dullness and discoloration; daisy flower extract naturally evens skin tone; and bisabolol, one of the main compounds found in chamomile extract, promotes a brightened complexion.
To buy: sephora.com, $60